


Bells

by NarryMusings



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: (despite being in the hospital), Christmas Fluff, Christmas spent in a hospital, Gemma has a daughter, Harry goes home for Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 11:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8888470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NarryMusings/pseuds/NarryMusings
Summary: Harry wants Niall to spend Christmas with him and his family, since Niall won't be going home anyway. But Niall has other plans.





	

Niall Horan is the most beautiful thing that Harry has ever seen. Neither a sunrise on a warm summer’s morning, nor the lights lighting up a Christmas tree can compare to radiance than is Niall Horan. Specifically now, though, where he’s pulling his sweatpants up over the curve of his arse, with the rays of the sun filtering in through the window and bouncing off of his perfectly pale skin. 

He’s always beautiful, always wondrous – both in features and in character, and his character isn’t perfect, but he’s beautifully imperfect, and Harry’s pretty damn sure that he’s always going to be in love with Niall Horan. Whether this _thing_ between them lasts or not, Niall is one of those things, a people, that Harry will carry with him everywhere. He isn’t easy to forget, Harry has already tried and failed miserably, numerous times. And should, one day, Niall simply become the one that got away, Harry thinks he would honour that, somehow.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go?”

Harry’s pulled out of his thoughts by Niall’s own morning voice. His accent is always just a little bit thicker and his voice is always deeper when he’s still waking up. Harry finds, sometimes, that he sort of forgets what it’s like to wake up alone these days. “Yeah,” he murmurs, groaning as he pushes himself up on his elbows. “You sure you don’t want to come with me?”

“Harry-“

“I know,” the brunet sighs, pushing himself all the way up now. He swings his legs over the side of the bed until he can place his bare feet against the cold, hardwood floor. He runs a hand through his hair as he watches Niall rifle through his closet until he gets his hands on one of Harry’s oldest jumpers – and then, with his heart settled up in his throat, he watches Niall pull it on. “I know you don’t want to do the boyfriend thing, but we don’t have to. I’ll introduce you as my friend, tell my family that you just didn’t feel like going home for Christmas this year because there was too much drama, or something.”

“And then what happens when you get a little bit too drunk and a lot too handsy for them to believe that we’re just friends?”

“I mean, to be fair, Gemma is going to know that we’re shagging right off the bat,” Harry says. “She has a knack for that sort of thing. But-“

Niall sighs. “Haz, I just- I think it’s better if I don’t, yeah? Besides, I have plans tomorrow.”

Harry blinks. “What? Since when? What are you doing?” He hate how jealous it makes him feel to know that Niall is doing something else – possibly with someone else. (In part, because they’ve never gotten around to making any ground rules.)

“I can’t tell you,” Niall says softly, as he steps into Harry’s space. He runs a hand through Harry’s hair. “Besides, I have to head out. ‘m meeting Lou for lunch, and I have to swing by my flat to pick up Freddie’s gift.”

Harry arches an eyebrow. “You bringing a gift for Freddie, on Louis’ birthday, but not bringing Louis a gift? He’s gonna be pissed.”

“Well, first of all, _I’m_ his gift. And second of all, I’m paying for his lunch – so he doesn’t get to complain either way.”

Harry laughs. He curls both arms around Niall’s waist and then falls backward until his back hits the mattress and Niall stumbles on top of him.

“I’m really not kidding, mate, I can’t have sex with you right now,” Niall laughs, despite the fact that he nips at Harry’s jaw. “Plus- You need to get going too. You promised you’d be there by dinner tonight, and-“

“I know. I just…” he trails off, feels his chest fill up with sorrow. “I hate hospitals.”

“I know,” Niall murmurs, drawing invisible lines over Harry’s collarbones. “But they’re only keeping her there until the New Year, right? So- She’s gonna be fine, babe, remember? She’s fine.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

“So, c’mon,” Niall says, pushing himself up. Once he’s standing back up, he extends both hands to pull Harry up to his feet. “Get ready. And drive safely. Text me when you get there. And I’ll see you later.”

Harry watches Niall go, waits to hear the sound of Niall locking the front door behind him before he flops back on the bed.

X

One thing Harry hates about hospitals, which is totally juvenile compared to everything else he hates, is how bland they are. White walls, white floors, white ceilings, white bedspreads, white monitors, white coats- White everything. Not even the garland around the nurses desk, or the Christmas tree set up in the family room, does very much to liven things up – and it’s _Christmas_. He hates it.

“HARRY!”

There’s only one thing that makes spending Christmas in a hospital not entirely horrible – and it’s little Averie Styles.

“AVERIE!” Harry exclaims as he walks in the room.

Averie, the absolute cutest five year old on the planet right now, climbs rather quickly out from beneath her favourite blanket, crawls across the length of the hospital bed, and then pushes herself to her feet as she holds her arms out for Harry.

“Averie, sweetie, be careful,” Gemma says, reaching her own arms out, just in case she has to catch Averie if she falls.

“I’m always careful, mummy.”

“Yeah, mummy,” Harry teases, as he scoops his niece into his arms. He holds her close, as he looks over her shoulder at his sister. “We’re always careful.”

Gemma makes a show of rolling her eyes. “You stumble three times just taking two steps,” she scoffs. “’Careful’ is not a word I would use to describe you at all.”

Harry snorts, but says nothing because, well, she isn’t wrong. He tries to put Averie back on the bed, then, but she refuses to let go of his neck, so he props her on his hip instead. “Where’s mum and Robin?”

“They went to get coffee.”

“And hot chocolate for me,” Averie murmurs, face tucked into Harry’s shoulder.

“I told them you were close, so they should be getting you something too,” Gemma tells him.

“Thanks.”

“Hazzy?”

Harry cranes his neck to look at the little girl in his arms. “Yes, Averie?”

“Did you know that the elves are coming tomorrow?”

“I didn’t know that, actually,” Harry replies, as he turns to sit on the edge of the bed. “Who are the elves?”

“They’re Santa’s elves, and they’ve come to visit all the kids to see what we want for Christmas so that they can tell Santa b’cause it’s easier than writing him letters.”

Harry hums. “And they’re coming tomorrow?”

Averie nods against his shoulder. “They’re delivering presents tomorrow b’cause Santa will be so busy.”

“That sounds great, Ave.”

“My elf is really nice. And he played the guitar for me once.”

“He did, did he?”

Averie nods again.

“How many times has he been here now, Averie?” Gemma asks, prompting her daughter to tell Harry.

“Three times! Tomorrow is four.”

Harry smiles softly. “Are you excited?”

“Mhmm.”

“So, Harry,” Gemma says, looking a bit mischievous. “Where’s your date?”

Harry rolls his eyes. “I told he wasn’t a date, just a friend. I also told you that he might not be able to come, remember? He has plans tomorrow.”

“Damn. I was so looking forward to embarrassing you in front of your boyfriend.”

“Uncle Harry has a boyfriend?” Averie asks, looking up at Harry with wide eyes. “Can I meet him?”

“Yes,” a simultaneously familiar and foreign voice says, upon walking into the room. Said voice belongs to his mother. “Can I meet him?”

Harry rolls his eyes, despite the growing smile spreading across his lips.

It’s going to be a long 72 hours.

X

Harry’s only vaguely aware of the murmurs being whispered around the room. He’s only vaguely able to hear light, careful footsteps and movements around him. And he’s only just waking up, when a distinct sound of bells chime out in the hallway – and that’s when Averie shrieks that her elf is here, which startles Harry awake faster than he would have liked.

He sits up on the sofa slowly, feels like he’s in a daze as blinks away the sleep in his eyes and lets his pupils adjust to sunlight flooding in through an impeccably clear window. On the other side of the room there’s Averie, who is sitting up straight with her legs folded in front of her, waiting patiently – and there’s Gemma, who’s sitting next to her, one legs crossed over the other – and then there’s Anne and Robin, who are each sitting in a chair next to Averie’s bed.

“Hazzy!” Averie whispers loudly, the second she notices him sitting up. “My elf is here, are you ready?”

Harry smiles softly, tiredly – makes a mental note to run down to the cafeteria to get a coffee of some sort once all the commotion is over.

The bells chime again, and this time they sound like they’re right outside. Harry is pushing himself to his feet to join the others across the room, when the door opens and-

Niall walks in.

Only, it’s not really Niall, is it? Because Niall is dressed entirely like an elf – from his bright green and white hat, to his matching green and white jacket, and red, baggy trousers, and red and white socks, and black, pointy shoes.

Harry suddenly feels entirely out of breath. There’s a lump the size of a golf ball in his throat, and his heart is beating so hard in his chest he can practically feel it slamming against his rib cage, and the butterflies have come to life in his stomach with some sort of vengeance. He also feels incredibly confused – which is only made worse, when Averie climbs down off the bed to greet him, Niall, with a hug around his shoulders as the elf, Niall, squats down to her level.

“There she is,” Niall says, wrapping both arms around her in a hug.

“There you are,” Averie fires back, as she pulls away from him. She touches her index finger to his nose, and he follows suit.

“How are you feeling today, Little Butterfly?” Niall asks her, gaze and attention focused solely on her and nobody else – not even Harry.

Harry’s breath catches in his throat at the nickname, before he even realized he’d caught his breath in the first place. He had told Niall ages ago – like, literally months ago – that his nickname for her was Butterfly.

“Loads better,” Averie says, smiling brightly. “How are _you_ feeling today?”

“I feel fantastic,” Niall replies enthusiastically. “The sun is shining, you’re feeling loads better, and- It’s Christmas Day.” He whispers the last bit with a wink. “And I think you’re going to like your present a lot. I put in a special word for you with Santa, told him all about you – and he knew exactly what to get you.”

Averie’s eyes widen in excitement. “Can I have it?”

Gemma gasps. “Averie. Manners, please.”

“Can I have it, _please_?”

The whole room, apart from Harry, because he still feels a bit like he’s in shock, laughs. Gemma in particular looks like she isn’t sure whether to scold her daughter or laugh – until the giggles escape her.

“’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?” Niall asks rhetorically. “Gimme one minute to grab it from my bag, yeah?” He stands to his full height, then, smiles at Gemma, Anne, and Robin, and then turns around to head back the way he came. If the others noticed that Niall didn’t acknowledge Harry, then none of them show it.

Harry watches him leave the room, and then watches him come back a moment later, with a large square box in his hands. And, suddenly, everything makes sense. He gets it now. He knows now, where and why Niall has been sneaking off for hours on end, and then returning to Harry’s flat looking exhausted. He understands now where Niall’s obsession with buying candy canes came from, and why, on more than one occasion, he had to help Niall get glitter out of his hair. Niall has to have been doing this for at least three weeks now – if Averie saying that she’d seen him three times is anything to go by.

The thought of Niall driving back and forth between Holmes Chapel and London for this, after Harry had spent hours and days and weeks worrying about Averie’s health – and the fact that Averie was afraid that Santa would forget her and the other kids in the hospital – makes his heart beat even faster, and harder, like it’s trying to beat out of his chest, like it’s trying to get across the room to where Niall is, crouched down on the floor to help Averie rip apart the wrapping paper.

“IT’S A BUTTERFLY HOUSE!” Averie shrieks ecstatically. She picks up the tall, wooden house – painted white, with little flowers painted all over - in her little hands, and then whirls it around to face Gemma, whose smiles is wide and eyes are watery. “Mummy, look! Santa got me a butterfly house for when the butterflies come back – just like I asked!”

“That’s amazing, sweetheart,” Gemma says fondly. “Now, what do you say to Niall?”

Averie smiles as she hands her mother the house, before she whirls around and throws herself against Niall’s body. The force of it almost sends them both sprawling onto the floor, but Niall manages to catch himself with a hand on the floor beside him. (Harry makes a mental note to check on his knee next time they see each other.) “Thank you, Niall,” she whispers, tucking her face into Niall’s neck. “You’re the best elf _ever_.”

Harry watches him smile, watches him hug her tighter. He watches as Niall shakes Robin’s hand, and kiss Anne’s cheek, and hug Gemma. He watches as Averie sits on her bed and explains how butterfly houses work to everyone – including Niall. And then he watches Niall leave, without a word passed between either of them.

“Happy Christmas, Niall!” Averie calls out to him as he walks towards the door.

“Happy Christmas, Little Butterfly.”

And, fuck, Harry has never been more in love with anyone in his entire life than in this moment. Happy Christmas.

X

The first thing he sees upon walking into the cafeteria is Niall, sitting at one lonely table by himself. The second thing he sees is that Niall has yet to take off his hat, despite being in his regular people – non-elf – clothes.

Niall smiles when he sees him, and then pushes himself to his feet. “Hi.”

And it’s like Harry forgets how to make his mouth work, so he forgets about saying it back and goes straight in for a hug. He winds both arms around Niall’s shoulders and tucks his face into the curve of Niall’s neck. He feels like crying, quite honestly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you-“

“Are you kidding?” Harry asks rhetorically, interrupting him as he pulls away to look at Niall properly. “Do you have any idea how grateful I am? How grateful _Averie_ is? You just made her whole year in 10 minutes, Niall. You made my whole year too. And Gemma’s, and mum’s- You- How long have you been doing this?”

Niall shrugs nonchalantly, as if he truly has no idea a great he is. “I signed up a few weeks back, after you told me that Averie was so sick that she had to be hospitalized.”

“Why?” Harry asks softly. He already knows why, because Niall has one of the kindest hearts in the entire world – which is why he keeps it so guarded. He also knows why, deep down, but he’d like for Niall to finally be able to say it.

“Why do you think, Harry?”

“Tell me,” Harry whispers. He brings his hands up to cup Niall’s cheeks, strokes his thumbs along Niall’s cheekbones. “You can tell me. I won’t run away.” _Not like_ he _did_ , Harry thinks, but would never say out loud. _Not from you_.

Niall sighs. “Because, against my better judgment, I care about you a lot.”

Harry cocks an eyebrow. “ _Against your better judgment?_ ”

“Not because you’re not perfect,” Niall clarifies. “But because I’m not perfect, and-“

“I’ve never needed you to be perfect, Niall.”

“I know, I just-“

“Besides- You dressed up as an elf just to make my niece happy – without even telling me so that you could have brownie points. You also blew off Christmas with your family for this. You just did it, and that seems pretty perfect to me.”

Niall sighs again. “Harry-“

“I know that now isn’t the right time to have this conversation, but since you’re here, just- Just come back upstairs with me. You have nothing to lose.”

“I have _you_ to lose, actually.”

Harry shakes his head, presses their foreheads together and nuzzles his nose against Niall’s. “You won’t lose me. Come upstairs with me. Meet my family properly.” He knows Niall; knows that Niall wouldn’t have done all of this if he didn’t already want to.

Niall hesitates, bites nervously at his bottom lip. “On one condition,” he says, finally. “You come home with me for New Years to meet mine.”

“Deal.”

X

_“Wait- Uncle Harry’s boyfriend is my elf?? Cool!”_


End file.
